Vindictive Episode I: Cinders of an Empire
by DarthTrekkie2016
Summary: The Secutor class Star Destroyer Vindictive's journey through and after the fall of the Empire. A large cast spanning bridge crew, fighter pilots, and stormtroopers, traces of mystery and intrigue, and a desperate fight for survival.
1. The Battle of Thonner

Star Wars: Vindictive

Episode I: Cinders of an Empire

The **GALACTIC EMPIRE** constantly battles with the scattered **REBELLION** , but has so far been unable to fully destroy them. Construction of the second **DEATH STAR** has been slow, but word has been spread the station is ready for battle. A detachment of Star Destroyers has been sent to the system of **THONNER** , where a group of rebel ships has been detected. Among them is the Secutor-class **VINDICTIVE**. As the fleet erupts from hyperspace, the rebels fire upon them. In an instant, the calm of space is lit up with green and red. On the bridge, Captain **VARIK ARKADA** overlooks the destruction.

Part 1: The Battle of Thonner

As the first salvo of enemy fire struck the deflector shields, Commander Kyral shouted out in surprise. "Captain, we're detecting at least twelve rebel frigates and a large base not far behind them! I thought Thonner was cleared out!"

Captain Arkada shook his head, scowling. "These rebels never knew when to quit. Don't expect them to learn. Lock turbolasers on the nearest frigate and scramble fighters Commander."

"Should I even offer them surrender Captain?" Commander Eriston shook her head. Until the fighters were scrambled or friendlies were in danger, her station was usually quiet. Not that she minded. The bridge was an excellent view of the battles.

Varik chuckled. "If the Admiral hasn't, I don't plan to." He adjusted his hat, pushing the one defiant curl of his black hair under it again. He was taller than most, and reasonably tanned. His eyes were a bright amber, and though they were alert and awake had noticeable shadows below them.

The arrowhead figure of the Vindictive cast its shadow over the scattered asteroids, bolts of green light briefly illuminating the dark rocks. Red streaks collided with the ship, the blue deflectors flashing as they did. Across the vast space from asteroids to station, streaks of turbolaser and laser fire danced. As Soloman had noted, there were twelve Nebulon-Bs. Closing in were five of the CR90s, foolishly attempting to curtail the imminent wave of TIEs. Varik then turned to look over Admiral Comeg's fleet.

Three Imperial-II class Star Destroyers took the lead. Closely behind them followed five Victory IIs. The only Secutors in this fleet, and this sector, were on the flanks. The Vindictive's sister ship, the Warspite, took the left side. Though their numbers were lower, they had clearly superior firepower. Still, it never hurt to be careful.

…

Red lights flashed and the alarm sounded. The halls were busy with stormtroopers and crewman running to their stations. As the hangars were cleared of the non-vital personnel, Commander Arden and the pilots of Alpha Squadron filed into their fighters. Arden stood back as they all boarded, making sure the rookies from Bespin hadn't been lost in the chaos. As the last one rushed by, he heard someone calling for him.

"John? Hey, good look out there, yeah?"

He turned back to see a trooper waving him off as he rushed to rejoin his squad. John smiled, knowing it must be Oren. Never one for protocol. But it was nice getting a sendoff from him. As he clambered up the steep steps, he quickly threw on his helmet. He shut the hatch, and quickly ran through the systems, switching everything on. Dangerous as his job was, he wouldn't trade it for anything in the galaxy.

"This is Alpha 1, squadron, sound off when ready for takeoff."

"Alpha 2 is ready." "Alpha 3, on your order." "Alpha 4, ready to go Commander!" "Alpha 5's good. Try not to get us killed Commander."

He chuckled at Kely's comment. De Arlos made a point about not forgetting her first mission. Shortly after her joining, the Vindictive had rushed to her homeworld of Denon to stop a rebel ship escaping with recruits. During that mission, John may or may not have led his wing on a chase through the city, trying to find every last fighter and transport. And he might have led them through a few bridges. Still, the mission was a resounding success, so he didn't see the problem.

As the last pilot sounded off, he smiled. Time to make the bridge crew proud. "All fighters detach and follow my lead. Arrowhead formation until I say to break off. Let's show 'em just how fucked they are, yeah?"

One after the next, Alpha's fighters came unclamped from their anchors and shot forward. Flying down and out from the hangar, John was pleased to see the battle already in full swing. "Good, the rebels ought to have X-wings inbound."

The squadron skirted just above the asteroids, a safe enough distance from them while being a ways off from the Vindictive and any streams of fire. Sure enough, the starlight glinted off of a spread of rebel fighter-craft. As fun as a dogfight with an X-wing was, any bombers were their priority. Those were his standard orders, so his team knew to be on the lookout. Sure enough, one of them called out.

"This is Alpha 7, enemy bomber squad inbound! They're leaving the nearest Nebulon."

"Good spot! Alright Alpha, maintain a loose cohesion 'till we reach the fighters. 3, 5, 7, you come with me to hit those bombers. The rest of you, start picking targets. Happy hunting, and watch each other's backs. For the Empire!"

As the two masses of fighters drew closer, pilots honed in and locked on. This was easily the least safe job in the whole of the Imperial Navy. He realized this. He relished in it.

In an instant, both rebel and imperial fighters opened up. Red and green bolts flew every which way. Several ships on both sides didn't make it past the first few seconds, but Arden and his escorts broke from the skirmish unharmed. Numerous as the rebels were, they were completely dwarfed by the vast swarm that was the fleet's TIE fighters. The Y-wings were a ways away, and as expected, they weren't alone. Following closely were four A-wings, the elite of the rebel fighters. As his team drew in, the A-wings broke away to intercept.

John smiled to himself. "Here comes the fun part."

Suddenly, a spread of lasers fell on the A-wings. Their shields didn't last long, and the concentrated fire tore into them. A group of six TIE interceptors soared through the explosion, arching around back to the main battle. A voice came on over comms. "There you go Alpha, clean shot at those bombers."

Despite his frown, he responded happily. "Nice shots. I'll buy you a round next time we're planetside." Switching back to his own squadron's channel, he sighed. "Damn interceptors. Always have to take the good fights." 

Kely groaned. "You actually wanted to take them on? I'd rather live to see thirty, Commander. Let's take the bombers and then go hit their hangars."

"Hey, you don't call the shots de Arlos! … Uh, but… Do that." He could only imagine the curses being shot at him from the Y-wing pilots. Not that they had much time to get them out. In a few seconds, the four TIEs flew for the nearest frigate, nothing but scrap in their wake.

…

From the bridge, the battle was looking like a clean victory. Aside from fighter craft, the rebel fleet hadn't done any damage. They had already been reduced to a mere six frigates, and a single blockade runner which had pulled back. In a few more moments, the unfortunate remainder would join their comrades. Regrettable. Such dedication and passion would've been useful, if they weren't all traitorous idealists.

"Captain, we're being hailed by Admiral Comeg."

"Very good Eriston. Send it to the bridge projector." Varik turned and made his way to the rear. Out the room's left window, he could see the secondary bridge lit up by their deflector shields, lasers striking near them. The holoprojector for the bridge was near the rear. Normally, Varik would rather not take his eyes off the battle. But an admiral is an admiral, and he knew his place. "Kyral, command is yours."

"Yes sir Captain." With a curt salute, Soloman took Captain Arkada's place at the front of the bridge. There wasn't much to do with a battle this simple. But vigilance was important with people as deceptive and dedicated as these rebels.

The holoprojector flashed to light, the blue-tinted figure of Admiral Comeg appearing. Varik saluted, giving a quick nod. "Admiral."

Comeg smiled. "At ease Captain. Sorry for bothering you during battle, but we seem to have things well in hand. After we're finished here, I'm transferring you to Admiral Raythe's fleet. His mission is critical, and we need as many ships there as possible."

Varik nodded. "Understood, sir. Where am I to head?"

"His fleet and a few others are gathering near Endor. The far side of the planet from the new Death Star."

The bustle of the bridge fell quiet for a second, but Soloman cleared his throat and the crew quickly returned to work. Varik stood silent for a moment. If there were this many ships gathering at Endor…

"I'm sure you realize what this means, Arkada. It's time we truly wipe these rebels from the galaxy. We expect the attack to come any day now. As soon as Thonner is clear of these ships, make way to Endor."

"Of course."

"I envy you, Captain Arkada. To soon witness our greatest victory over this scum since Hoth. Send my regards to Admiral Raythe as well."

The two saluted to one another, and the light flickered. As it did, he heard Soloman laughing. "Well Captain, that seems to be our work done. The last ship's struggling to run away. Fa- Er, Commander Eriston. Order our fighters back." He nodded to Varik as he walked back. "I'll return you your ship captain."

…

Not a single loss for Alpha Squadron. John was pleasantly surprised. The TIE fighters were known for being… Fragile. But these rookies were clearly capable. He shook their hands and nodded to them all, enthused. "Yes! Now that was some good flying out there! What was that, maybe half an hour? Hell, these rebels are getting sloppy. Maybe they don't see the point anymore, huh?"

The squadron couldn't help but get into the spirit of things. Overly daring he may have been, but Commander Arden was a charismatic leader for sure. Even Kely was in on it. As they celebrated, a group of mechanics closed in. One of them smiled and nodded to John. "Arden, good to see all of Alpha back safe. How're the TIEs?"

"Pretty good. Handled fantastic. Think I scratched the paint-job on mine though."

Still laughing, Kely jokingly smacked him on the head. "Paint, really? Your right radiator panel's at a wonk, you madman."

The lead mechanic groaned. "Oh my - Did he go diving into an enemy hangar again? I told you man, you've gotta be careful on those! It's not even hard to fix, just annoying."

John shrugged. "What can I say Lassiter? I'll be more careful next time I guess."

This only inspired another groan. "Oh, don't lie to me John. We both know you're not mentally capable of being careful."

As Lassiter's assistants began to unpack their tools, two crewmen in black uniforms walked forward. A woman with short black hair and brilliant blue eyes took the lead, an authoritative stride carrying her. At her side, a shorter man in his early twenties, a mess of curly brown hair pouring out from his hat, followed. He seemed nervous for some reason.

The woman nodded to Arden. "VS-1-1, correct?"

Like that, John's smile fell. He was never fond of those officers who memorized the ID numbers. If you didn't know their name, just call them by rank or station. He nodded. "Ma'am."

She then turned to the mechanics. "You, what's your name?"

The group saluted, and Lassiter stepped forward. "Name's Lassiter ma'am. How can I help you."

She smiled, but it was one of those smug and intimidating ones. "I'm with security, Lt. Commander Stark. Were any of you working on the TIE bombers? Epsilon Squadron in particular."

The group shrugged, shaking their heads. The nervous man who was escorting her stood a bit stiffer, and pointed at one of the younger mechanics. "That one's lying. I saw him working with the repair groups before we arrived here. We've already hit the others, Li - ah, uh, miss Stark. It's him."

Without a second thought, the Lt. Commander drew her blaster pistol. A single shot rang out and the mechanic fell, grasping his shoulder. "Excellent. Go collect him Roy. We'll have a talk with him in the brig."

The Ensign went over and dragged the man to his feet. He must have been even younger than Roy was. Gritting his teeth, he growled at the people gathered. "Dammit! I'll - Gah… I couldn't just do nothing! This whole Empire, it's all fucked!" He turned to Lassiter, near tears. "We blew up a planet! How can… How do you rationalize that!? How can you -"

Lisa took the grip of her pistol to the back of his head, and he fell into a stunned state of semi-consciousness. Roy buckled under the near-dead weight, but managed to start and drag him off. Two stormtroopers came over to help the Ensign get the man down the hall. The officer turned back to Lassiter. "Well, that's that then."

As she turned to leave, Arden risked questioning her. "Uh, ma'am, what happened to the bombers in Epsilon?"

She didn't even turn back or stop as she replied. "The traitor rigged them so the bombs wouldn't drop. They took a risky move that would've gone fine if the frigate had been hit. But instead, we lost a whole bomber squad."

Alpha and the others were quiet. John sighed, and walked off. He'd take a different hall, just so he didn't accidentally get on an elevator with that one. Kely watched him walk off, and considered following him. But as the rest of the squadron took the normal path, she decided to follow them instead. Arden probably wanted some time alone after all.

…

The rebels destroyed, the Vindictive bid farewell to the ships they'd accompanied for months. The other captains seemed just as envious, wishing it had been them Comeg was sending to Endor. They all wished Arkada well. With all surviving fighters accounted for and all systems nominal, the Vindictive tore off into hyperspace.

Varik took the time to study the crew. They were all relatively happy at their victory. He was sure there were some nerves over being sent to what would likely be the final battle. Soloman and Fable were talking near the right side window, looking over the wide ship. Commanders Kyral and Eriston were comrades of his from his previous ship, the Victory-class Barrage. Soloman Kyral was a good officer. His loyalty had been tested and proved by his brother. But it seemed treachery wasn't genetic, as Soloman was as loyal a man as there could be.

Fable was good at her job, no question. But Varik valued her more for her effect on the crew. She had a way of calming people down when they were hot-headed, and had a good sense of character. He chuckled a bit, seeing she had a similar problem getting her short-cut auburn hair to stay in place.

He turned to look down at the stations. Lt. Commander Riada sat at the nav-computer, ensuring everything had been done correctly. He was overly-critical of his work, which was flawless. The man was friendly, but quiet. He let his merit speak for him, and Varik could respect that. Riada turned to look up at the captain. "Alright Captain. We're set to arrive in a day. We'll pull out of hyperspace half an AU from the fleet, and continue at cruise speed into formation."

"Excellent." Arkada turned to look out the front. He didn't normally get so excited for a battle, but given the circumstances, he couldn't help himself. "At last… The Empire's day is coming."


	2. Over Endor

Part 2: Over Endor

The **VINDICTIVE** slows from hyperspace a short distance from the forest moon of **ENDOR.** Opposite the moon, the **EMPEROR** awaits the rebels' attack. All is going to plan. After a brief meeting with the admiral, Captain **ARKADA** plans with his bridge crew. Anticipation builds, and the crew spends a few hours at rest. The trap is set, and the **REBEL ALLIANCE** need only arrive. The wait begins…

…

Arkada stood at the end of the briefing table. Soloman, Kalen, Fable, and Kiren had joined him. It was a simple plan, with the Imperial fleet closing in around the rebel assault. The hologram projection displayed an approximation of the battle. The Vindictive was a bright gold amongst the friendly blue. They were to provide distant fire support and fighter craft. The demonstration even included some blasts from the Death Star II.

He watched them all carefully for their reactions. Feedback was useful, but sometimes what one revealed lost in thought was more so. The dim glow of the projection lit the officers in the otherwise dark room. Commander Soloman nodded, brown hair that near matched his eyes a mess of curls just barely held back by his officer's cap. He likely thought as Varik himself did, that it was a simple but effective plan. Lt. Commander Kalen seemed distracted by something, but was nodding along himself. The blue glow did nothing to change the tint of his eyes, but made his orderly blonde cut look a pale blue. Commander Fable seemed near excited, though her eyes flicked from the demonstration to Kalen occasionally.

Then there was Chief Kiran Bane. Kiran had served alongside Varik since the Barrage, and was his closest friend in the navy. He helped him survive those early days under Admiral Thashin. The light gleamed off his bald head, but was outshined by the usual light in his amber eyes. He was the first to speak.

"That's quite the spread of fire they want coming from us. We'll have to tell our fighters to steer clear of that mess."

Varik nodded. It wasn't that unusual as a tactic, but this spread of fire would need to be constant and massive. "Do you think we can safely put out that kind of fire? It doesn't need to be accurate; it just needs to help make a wall of turbolasers."

Kiran nodded, waving nonchalantly. "Of course, of course. We could maintain that level of fire for about an hour or so, if need be."

Soloman seemed content, finally letting himself smile. "Well, if that's the case, the plan should be fine. I'm assuming our reports on the rebel fleet are accurate?"

Varik nodded. Soloman's confident joy was no doubt partially relief that the Daring would not join the rebel assault. "Of course, commander. Rest assured that our intelligence is sound. The rebels are desperate to hit us while we seem vulnerable."

The others had little to add. He had hoped to hear from Kalen, but it must have been something unrelated. Fable's job was more to focus on communication and coordination, not tactics, so she was mostly silent. With nothing else to go over, Arkada dismissed them.

…

Roy Gantu sat, head in his hands. He cursed, and deleted the message again. As he heard footsteps approaching, he re-opened the detention report for Jevan Lars. As Lisa rounded the corner, he shot it off to Naval Command. He gave her a quick salute, but continued his menial work. Of course, this was the one time she wouldn't walk on by.

Instead, she hung just behind him, expressionless as she watched him work. After a minute or so of uncomfortable scrutiny, she took the seat next to him. "Um… Miss Stark? Did you need something?"

"I was hoping to talk with you, yes."

That was never a good thing. "Of course ma'am. What about?"

"Our daring little saboteur. He confessed to having been spurred on by rebel broadcasts. Plentiful enough in these outer systems. What confuses me is how he listened whilst aboard my ship."

Roy sighed. "I'm sure it was Ensign Del Feraan again. He and his friends reportedly like to… Riff them, ma'am. I suppose I'll have to update the security on our channels again."

She nodded, looking his workstation over again as she rose. "Yes, please do. We'll just have to hope either those rumors become confessions, or we catch him in the act. Remarkable how the lowly engineer keeps working his way past your security, Roy."

He shifted in his seat. Oh how she loved to hold that over him. "I keep telling you, ma'am, it's hard for me to keep them from undoing my interference. Del Feraan seems to be almost as skilled as I am at this. It's remarkable he's stuck in maintenance. I guess that's to be expected when you can't maintain even the illusion of discipline. Maybe we could re -"

Roy snapped from his mumbling as Lisa spun his seat around to face her.

Hand on his shoulder, she leaned closer, smirking. "Roy, poor thing, calm down. Just stop his acting out, don't give me his service record."

"Ah, oh yes. Of course ma'am. I - Meaning, um. I'll do what I can."

"Very good." She glanced at his screen again. "Ah, damn. I had hoped to stay longer. Oh well. Time for our traitor to get transferred. I wonder if the cells on the new Death Star will have a good view of the battle. He would do well to see what resistance earns you."

She left him spinning slightly with a quick shove on his shoulder. He gently stopped himself and took a moment to collect his thoughts. How he ended up under her command, he would very much like to know. He'd considered trying to transfer, but he doubted he'd get an ok on that. Mental endurance was definitely becoming his strongest asset at work.

He thought briefly about resuming his other work, but groaned as he closed the empty message again. There was nothing he could reasonably do.

"... May the Force be with us."

…

"121… 122… 123… 12-fuck!" _Thud_.

"124, 1 - oh, we done then?" Oren stopped mid push-up, catching his breath. They'd almost hit a new record. He turned to see who dropped out this time. Khaylia stood over poor young Joshua. This had to be the third time in a row Moth-Evon was the first to fall. Not that the commander's regimen was easy. Oren himself for one was glad to drop out.

Khaylia shook her head looking over the private. "Really, Moth-Evon? Again? What, too hard for you?"

He gasped for air. "N - No ma'am! I can keep going commander!"

"Damn right you can. Take a lap -"

"Oh thank god…" Joshua started to clamber up.

"Around the Vindictive's outer halls."

There was a good round of laughter from everyone at this, even as Joshua nearly collapses back to the floor. Oren couldn't help himself. "Man, thank god, am I right Moth-Evon?"

He regretted that immediately. Khaylia quickly pounced. "Well at least you can keep Corporal Sadow laughing. Corporal, would you mind helping me with something?"

He quickly rose to salute. "Not at all Commander Manten. How can I be of assistance?"

"At ease corporal. I need someone to make sure the private here actually completes that lap. I'd like you to accompany him. Everyone else, dismissed."

The rest of the battalion gathered and made their way toward the showers. Oren and Joshua instead headed out the side doors of the training halls. Officers and troopers on patrol chuckled as the two jogged by. This wasn't an uncommon occurrence on the Vindictive, Khaylia being known to run harsh training sessions. Oren had managed to typically avoid these additional exercises, something Manten was no doubt trying to correct with this.

"Woah… Oren, check it out!" As Oren found himself jogging alone, he turned around to see Joshua staring out into space through the glass. Outside was the fleet they had joined, holding above the forested surface of the moon.

Then Oren saw what Joshua was excitedly pointing toward. Just barely, really only a sliver visible around the moon, was the second Death Star. The grand super weapon rebuilt. Oren felt his stomach churn. He had seen the first's demonstration of power at Alderaan, and was less than eager to see it used again.

Joshua evidently didn't share his sentiment. "Now we can really get back to blowing these rebels away! Once they realize we can just build another one, this little mental warfare of theirs is over."

The two were leaning forward, both straining to get a better view of the station. Oren shook his head. There were plenty of things he wished to say about the Death Star. Instead, he tried to play it safe. "Well, hopefully it'll serve as a good deterrent. And only a deterrent…"

He was thankful to see Joshua nodding along to this. "Hopefully people realize it's pointless to fight the Empire. We need unity and order, no matter the cost."

"Well… Come on. The commander won't be happy if we take too long." The two took off down the corridor again, turning away from the Death Star. He couldn't help but feel it would be better if they could've just left the idea for it behind in the rubble around Yavin 4.

…

"Well, that should about do it. Seriously though, John, you gotta stop it with these daredevil dives. You're lucky you just knocked the radiator panel loose. I like you Arden, don't wanna see you dead anytime soon. Not that being in a TIE's gonna make that easy, but, there it is." Lassiter's team had finished repairing the Vindictive's TIE groups. Those that had been recoverable, anyway. Arden's had been one of the last.

"Yeah, yeah." John wasn't fully paying attention. Not that he disliked Lassiter or even being scolded for his insane flying. But he couldn't stop thinking about Stark and the saboteur from a day ago. He had been friends with the commander of Epsilon. Veir had shared in some of Arden's riskier habits. To think he'd never fly escort for the madman again made him more remorseful than he had been throughout this whole damned war. Thinking about Veir got him thinking about Elrad, from the interceptors that had been lost at Mandalore, which made him think of Wes and Demora, some of his own who he'd lost over his homeworld of Ganthel.

Strangely enough, he found himself next thinking of de Arlos. A break from the sequence, as Kely was very much alive. But he had led her, an entirely green TIE pilot, through the city skies of Denon. She could've been another name on the list, another silent toast in remembrance. Then he realized why his mind had drifted to Kely. She stood right in front of him, waving in his face.

"Alpha 5 to Alpha leader, respond Alpha leader. Have you gone catatonic sir?" She mimicked leaning into a receiver, feigning terror.

He'd respond in kind then. He went through a dramatic coughing fit, pretending to shake himself into conciousness. "Oh my… De Arlos, is that you? Do you read Alpha 5? I think target Lassiter has made use of some sort of chemical weapon, I can barely stay awake!"

That little remark earned him a smack from Lassiter to the back of his head, but a round of laughter from the engineers and Kely. Her black hair was free from the braid she usually kept it in, and her usually fair skin was a bright red as she shook from laughter. He could have gotten her killed…

No. That wasn't like him. Kely had proven herself in that battle, not only keeping pace with her new commander, but even thinking like him and improving his plan. He may have led her into the fire. But she was as capable in the flames as he was. Maybe this was true. Or maybe he was telling himself that she was fine because he couldn't live with himself if she found herself on that list.

He and Kely said their goodbyes to Lassiter, and soon found themselves lounging on a handrail near a nice view of the forest moon. He hadn't given it much thought before, but this was the closest he had ever been to wild space. Wild space and the unknown regions, come to think of it. Endor certainly looked a wild place.

"Hey. Sorry my best approach was a lame joke, but I was kinda worried back there. You alright Arden? You're being uncharacteristically mournful today. Last I checked, we were winning." Ah. So that's why she had been quick to drag him away from Lassiter. It was nice to know Kely had seen that, less nice to think about how a few people probably noticed. He was supposed to be their leader. He didn't have time to mope! Not in front of the whole squad anyway. But if de Arlos was concerned...

John sighed, leaning back onto the rail. "Oh, I don't know… Don't get me wrong, the fact that we may be about to end this, here and now... I'm relieved. A few years ago, I'd have said I was fucking ecstatic. Now though? I've lost a lot of good people, Kely. A lot of damn good pilots, and damn good friends on top of that. I…"

She didn't press him as he droned off. She just stayed with him, comforting him with her presence and calmness. After a minute, she broke the silence. "Don't worry, commander. Just a couple more missions, and we'll have these rebels down and out. Besides, I can't go dying before you. Someone needs to rein you in out there."

They sat smiling for a while longer before two stormtroopers, clad in only the black suits beneath their normal armor, came to a panting halt a few steps away. "Uuuugggh… Damn it… Josh… You just had to - Fuck! - go and... Collapse on us!"

The one that hadn't been talking very nearly collapsed on the floor. "Speak… Oh man… For yourself Sadow… Why? Uuuugggghhhh, why are our ships so big?!"

John couldn't help himself. "Looking fit, Oren. Good to see you in shape."

His friend didn't even look up from the floor. "Fuck… You… John."

The doors nearest to them opened, and a much more outfitted and less winded stormtrooper joined them in the hall. John could recognize her as well, they had met before during mission briefs and debriefs. "Ah, nice to see you Commander Manten. You know, I think Oren and his friend here might need a few more laps."

She laughed, but focused on her two subordinates. "Alright soldiers, you seem sufficiently run ragged. Go get washed up and fed. We shouldn't be needed for the next battle; they've already designated battalions for the ground. Enjoy a bit of rest."

As the two grunts made their way in an exhausted stupor, Khaylia joined John and Kely at the rail. "So, you two ready for what comes next? You'll be seeing plenty of action, I imagine."

To even John's surprise, it was Kely who chimed in with excitement. "No more than we can handle, right commander? Um, Commander Arden, that is. We'll get to show these rebels their mistake personally, if all goes right."

The three continued on for a while talking about how strange it was this battle was so close. While Kely talked with Commander Manten about the things they might do after, all Arden could think about was how he so desperately wanted it to be over. Without question, it was exhilarating to be in a TIE. He worried that he couldn't live without it. But he had always imagined a nice, quiet life after it all. Maybe he'd get to do those paintings of the world's he'd flown over he had imagined. But just as central to his thoughts of being out there again in a TIE, and what would come after, were his thoughts about where de Arlos might end up. If he had any say of it, not blasted away by any rebel lasers, no matter what. After all, he couldn't let her go dying before him.


	3. A Familiar Feeling

Part 3: A Familiar Feeling

Stationed behind the forest moon of Endor, the Vindictive and the rebel fleet await the arrival of the rebel fleet led by **HOME ONE**. The leaders of the Rebellion rush to confront the Empire's new Death Star, aboard which the **EMPEROR** himself lies in wait. Sure enough, it isn't long before a lone shuttle arrives with an unscheduled delivery to the moon's surface. Lord Vader is sure that among the leaders is the pilot **LUKE SKYWALKER** , and has descended to deal with him personally. A day passes on the moon, and the rebel attack begins in earnest.

* * *

"All first wave pilots, report to your stations and prepare for battle." The voice rang out through the ship accompanied by the wailing siren. Arden leapt from his bunk and grabbed his helmet. He was quickly joined by a few pilots who shared his living space. It really was time then. He had thought maybe the shuttle was a genuine error on intelligence's part, someone may have slipped up and forgot to inform their higher ups.

Optimism was for fools. He arrived to see most of his wing gathered already. De Arlos had organized everyone already. Good to see her stepping up. He nodded to her as she took her place in the line before him. _Alright John, time for some classic inspiration_.

"Alright then. Listen up, crew. You know as well as I do what's riding on this. All we need to do is defend the trillion credit death ball, blow up some X and Y wings, and job done. As long as our boys in the trees do their jobs, we've won this. Once the main cannon starts firing we should be able to watch their fleet dissolve entirely. One more time everyone, for the Empire!"

"For the Empire!" "Let's put these rebel dogs down!" "Keep a tally, whoever's lowest pays for drinks next time we go planetside!"

John hoped he could match their optimism once he was in the fight. He caught de Arlos giving him a glance of her own, and he looked away. Hopefully she wouldn't see his concern. Without another word, he shot up the steps. Breath, Arden. Breath, put your hands to the controls… And blow some X-wings away. One more, to bring it home.

* * *

"Pilots are mounting up, captain. Awaiting further orders from the admiral." Eriston sat with one ear in her headset.

"Moving at cruise speed with the rest of the fleet, captain. At current projections we'll come around the horizon of the planet about a minute and a half after the Executor." Riada's eyes darted, despite his steady hands. A little bit of nerves was to be expected from someone so young in a battle this important. At least it seemed his work would be unaffected.

"All turbolasers for the opening salvo. Upper deflectors at maximum, so we'll be good to receive a bit of fire as well. The order to fire is yours." Kyral nodded, walking back down the bridge to watch those Arkada couldn't.

Excellent. Another handful of moments, a few deep breaths, and Varik would lead these men and women in the grandest moment of the Empire. Maybe he could argue for Kyral to get his own ship after all was said and done… He looked out the right of the bridge and smiled. The Barrage flew close by. He gave a salute, one he was sure would go unnoticed, but one that had to be made nonetheless.

Almost… He could see the Death Star now. Ever closer… Those blinking lights among the stars, the exhausts of rebel fighters. Three… Two…

Eriston nodded. "We've got the all clear captain."

The crew hung on the silence, which Varik waited to break. The first shot was not theirs to take. He watched the flagship even as the rebel fleet drew into view. To their credit, no one prompted him. Whether or not they knew why he waited, they would wait for his order.

The first blast of green shot from the forward cannons of the Executor. Varik smiled. "Fire."

* * *

"Alpha, launch and spread out. Loose X formation. Just follow my lead for now, I'll call our targets. Until we're really in it, anyway." If only de Arlos could see his confidence now! Granted, he was under the helmet, but it counted! He could be stoic…

The TIEs roared as they erupted from the hangar. A kilometer forward, then turn about, come up around the wing of the Vindictive. His squadron hung close, closer than the other forms of TIEs in various formations. There were a few other ships moving in to the rebels' rear, but the Vindictive was with the main force.

There they were. Through the stream of turbolasers pouring from their own ship, Arden could see the fleet in its entirety. A good deal larger than any rebel fleets he'd seen in their earlier campaign. But then this was their last bid, wasn't it. All in, betting those shields would be down and that gun wouldn't fire. The Empire had a hell of a poker face, but now the hands were played.

"Alright crew. Rebel fighters pulling away from the Death Star. Seems they've realised their mistake. Far too late for them. Move in and… And… Fuck me, that's…" Good, he could still smile. Danger. The thrill of the hunt. Not to mention one hell of a story. "That's the damned Millennium Falcon! Dibs! Fuck me, dibs! 3, 4, 5, stay with me, we're taking this fucker down! The rest of you, pick your targets. 2, join with 6 and 7, the rest of you form another group. Go at 'em."

The two other groups opened fire and tore off after a few X and Y wings. As the Falcon shot past though, Arden and his escorts turned about. There was no way in hell he was letting the interceptors get at this one. Only one thought was in his head. _Mine._ The turrets spun to aim at them, but the four of them opened up simultaneously. He hoped de Arlos was smiling as wide as he was.

The chase was on. Sliding, weaving, dodging friendly and enemy fighters alike. The Falcon was deceptively maneuverable for its size. Thankfully, it seemed their gunners were scared. Not to say they weren't hitting anything. But Arden and his crew were managing to avoid any fire. Over the top of a Mon Cal. Underneath the bridge of a Nebulon. Red and green lit his cockpit.

 _There!_ A shot from Arden struck the top of the Falcon, sparks flying and a pretty blast mark joining the older battle scars. Now to just… Finish the job.

"Arden, we've got bombers closing on one of our support vessels! You four are closest, get on them!"

"Dammit! I… UGH! Fine! Someone get on the Falcon, do _not_ let him go unchased. With me you three." With some hushed cursing, Arden pulled away from his chase, and found himself quickly replaced by an ambitious interceptor. Well, best of luck to them.

Underneath them was a Tartan class patrol frigate. A good spread of fire could come from those little ships. And sure enough, there were the bombers. Two X-wings took up either side of the formation. Two X-wings not expecting fire from above at that moment. Even with only four TIEs, they tore the bomber wing to shreds.

"Alright Tartan, you're clear. Looks like you sustained some damage there. I'd pull out of the battle for now."

"This is the Royale. Wilco, send our thanks to the Vindictive for us."

Arden sped off, scanning the battle hurriedly. No. Of course he couldn't find it. Shooting down the Falcon, what a once in a lifetime chance. Damn. But victory was more important than a notch on his personal belt. Whether it was the Falcon or a shuttle… They all counted as one toward his tally. "Let's not get stuck with the tab, guys. For the Empire!"

* * *

"... send our thanks to the Vindictive for us." H'darr turned off the comm. He turned to his second. "Eriston, report from engineering?"

Janeth Eriston saluted. "Sir! The deflector shield generators are damaged. The fires are being dealt with, and we can maintain some fire while we retreat."

Ryan Starr smiled softly to himself. "Well, damn. Guess that's us spent. Wyn, take us out of here. To the nearest repair station. We'll leave the victory to the rest of the fleet. Eriston, you have family there, right?"

She nodded and beamed. "Yes sir. One on the Death Star, one on the Vindictive."

"Well then we'll drink to them tonight. Good show, everyone. Now get us out of here before we waste any more Imperial credits by blowing up."

* * *

Arkada turned an inch as he noticed Soloman drawing closer to him. "Sir… Forgive me, I'm not one to question orders or command, but… The Executor, sir."

The captain sighed, but nodded. "No, no. Don't worry, commander. I see it too. I'm perfectly confident Admiral Piett knows what he's doing." Soloman nodded and returned to his rounds. Hopefully Varik's face hid his disdain as well as his voice did. Like Kyral, he wasn't one to argue with his superiors. But Piett… Why he had brought the Executor that close to the Death Star was lost on Arkada. Perhaps there was a strategy to it. Hopefully there was…

"Eriston, you said your father was on the Death Star, correct? What's his rank?"

Fable was focused monitoring channels, but still looked his way. "He's in charge of one of the construction crews on the far end. They're doing interiors right now, I think."

"Damn, I was hoping he could tell the good admiral to leave some space. As you were commander. Keep me informed on anything importa -"

"What? Endor base, repeat last. You're sure that's accurate?" Eriston's eyes were wide, but she regained her composure. "Understood." She stood. "Captain, word from the ground… The shield generator, sir."

"... Understood. Maintain position and rate of fire. Don't panic now. The slightest alteration to our pattern could let them know what happened… More than they likely already know." Arkada looked again to the Executor. "Well, perhaps that's a good spot for them then. Not that it covers much of it, but the fire spread should -"

As he watched, the lights of the superstructure went dim, and the turbolaser fire ceased. A puff of orange lit up the distant bridge. "Shit! Commander?!"

He turned to Eriston. She shook her head. "Hold, captain… Executor, come in! … We've lost contact, captain. Best guess is -"

Soloman took over. "Ion blast. Lowered their shields, and then… Either a bombing run or a strafe of the bridge, most likely. Captain…" The commander was already saluting when Arkada turned to him, and the captain quickly joined him. Whatever their thoughts… There just went a brave man, serving on Vader's ship.

The commander's hand dropped first. "Um… Sir… I think the flagship is -"

"Falling into the Death Star, commander. Yes, I can see it. The damage to the structure will be minimal. We just have to worry about defending it properly now." He finished talking, and a massive beam erupted from the station. In a burst of light, one of the Mon Cal's was entirely blown apart. The bridge crew sat silently.

Arkada broke it dutifully. "Let's not all gawk now. We've a job to do. Now they know the full scope of it, they'll scramble for escape. Bite and hold. Don't give them an inch. The Interdictor will stop them jumping, but it's to us to blow them apart. Eriston, send word that -"

There was a stuttering sound, the lights flickered. The turbolasers stopped simultaneously, and then the lights died. A dim red glow fell over the bridge. Varik too a deep breath. "Damn."

Soloman pointed to one of the crewmen in the pits. "You, run down to engineering, get a report immediately."

Normally Arkada would stop the crewman, if only for a moment. It wasn't Kyral's place to give an order like that, not while the captain was still acting. Still, this was a heated moment, and the call was correct. He'd speak to the commander alone later. He took a few steps down the floor. "Riada, no control over the engines?" Kalen was cursing, and shook his head. "Naturally. Any movement?"

"We were held still when we lost power, captain." Arkada began to turn, but Kalen continued. "But I saw us lose inertia dampening and engines before we lost turbolasers. With the firing of a full salvo, and no counteraction to the blasts… We'll be turning clockwise at a rate of…"

"Lieutenant… Is this necessary information?"

Riada caught himself, and looked down into his console. "I… Suppose not, captain. With the spacing of the fleet, even with the rotation… I don't believe we're at risk of collision."

"Then just correct the issue when we regain power. Make no mistake though… That was interesting to listen to. You've a quick mind."

* * *

"Alpha 5, copy Alpha lead, I see 'em." John and Kely followed closely behind a cluster of B-wings that had snuck past the frigate line. The rest of his group was tied up with the main fighter groups. "They're heading toward the Vindictive, commander. What happened to our spread of fire?"

"Don't know, de Arlos. Shit, looks like the lights are out. Chances are their shields are down. Better catch these guys fast. Fire at will. Better our lasers hit the superstructure than any torpedoes."

Twin streaks of green chased after the rebel ships, a few pinging off of deflectors, a lot missing. Kely got the first kill, the lead rebel craft careening into the one to their left. That was the problem with these B-wings, they packed a punch and had a good shield, but they couldn't outmaneuver anything. Still, the win wasn't handed to them. The four remaining ships scrambled, leaving two for the both of them to follow.

John kept close as his targets skimmed over the surface of the Vindictive. Here he was more conservative with his fire. The captain wouldn't want him blowing up any of their turrets on accident. Now if only he could stop the rebels from doing it on purpose.

Finally, one of his shots broke through the shields of the closest ship, and blew apart the cockpit. The second let free a torpedo, and one of the turbolasers was struck. John winced, but it didn't look like the guns were completely ruined. He followed, more honed in now that there was just one target. "You guys made a real mistake coming out this far alone. Too bad you'll never get to learn from it."

There. Like that, the B-wing tore in half and he flew just past the debris. He shot a look toward the bridge, seeing the dark red lighting. Sure enough, something happened to knock the whole ship out. Good thing only these fighters noticed for now. "De Arlos, mine are finished. Where are you?"

"Steer clear of the thrusters commander." He eased up on the throttle, slowing as a single rebel ship shot up over the edge. In the next instant, he was engulfed in a burst of flame. "Alright, there's mine down. Think I'm in the lead, commander."

"So it would seem. Let's -"

Blinding green light lit the cockpit as one of the turbolaser structures next to him burst into life, resuming the attack pattern. "Shit! Give the guns space, Kely."

"Vindictive to all fighters, disengage and return to hangar. Repeat, return to hangar. Emergency signal from the Death Star."

John turned to try and see it, but the angle was useless. "I don't like the sound of that. Alpha squad, sound off and comply with last order." Arden and de Arlos wrapped around the ship toward the hangar entrance.

* * *

"I have confirmation, sir. The Emperor… He's dead." Eriston sounded shaken, and her eyes were glued to the Death Star. Arkada held his tongue, not having anything to say that would be of value. He was entranced in a terror of his own anyway. Not again… Not now.

As if on cue, while the crew of the bridge sat in awe, the Death Star II was split in two by a ring of fire, and blossomed into an explosion that engulfed several nearby ships. The usually disciplined crew collapsed, if for a moment. Fable screamed, before clasping a hand over her mouth to silence herself. Soloman actually gripped Varik's shoulder, and the captain could feel his second's knees weaken, the color draining from his face. Kalen ran a hand through his hair, his face an unreadable jumble of emotions.

Varik did what he could to remain stoic. He could see what would happen if he gave into despair. He cleared his throat, and felt every eye on him. Good, better than being glued to what just happened. "Remember, the Death Star is not the Empire. We've lost it before. All that matters is we continue the fight."

One of the crewmen in the pit steadied their breathing. "But… Captain, the Emperor. Not to mention Lord Vader was aboard -"

"It doesn't matter! Not for the time being, anyway." He turned to look his crew sternly in the eye, as many as he could. "We can worry about the matter of the succession later. All we have to worry about, is that we're still fighting a battle here. There are still several admirals here. They've not broken our chain of command yet. This is not where the Empire dies."

There was a moment of silence before Soloman nodded. "Damn right, captain. Everyone, back to it. There's still rebel ships out there."

Despite Arkada's bravado, and the immediate support of his crew… He couldn't help finding himself wondering if he was so right. He nodded to Kyral. "You have the bridge. I need to contact the rest of the fleet. Somewhere less…" He looked around the bridge. "Distracting." He took his leave, hoping someone would have a shred of good news.


End file.
